[Msmith310]

The more I learn about this pack the more questions I seem to have.

I can see the argument to it being a fake as they didn’t even use a good Topps logo. But then again why would anyone make a fake item with fictional names on them while including someone like Reggie Jackson also?

The packaging is nearly identical to the 1980 Empire Strikes back puffy stickers and even some of the fonts used look the same. Of course that was a completed issue so the packaging had been finalized with the corrected logo and other trademark lingo.

After all the information I have gathered to date I am believing more and more that this was an early Topps mock up for a first generation pitch.

Seems like way too much detail to be just a homemade item and because of all the mistakes and fake names I can’t believe anyone made it as a fake to sell.

One of the reasons I believe it to be from 1980 is because we know the ESB puffy stickers were also issued in 1980.

Another odd similarity is Topps did another oddball test pack in 1980 with both baseball and ESB cards. Those were the blister packs that included the collector boxes.

It seems coincidental that the baseball puffy stickers might have been looked into at the same time as the ESB puffy stickers just like the blister packs.

One last reason I believe them to be mock ups is the extreme rarity of the packs. I have been collecting unopened packs close to 50 years and had never seen this item before adding it to my collection.

Like you it is the only other one I had ever seen. If these were fakes or actually put into production by Topps we would have seen others by now. Much more likely that just 2-3 were made up for a presentation to Topps decision makers as to if they were to pursue further interest.

I actually got my pack from someone who had another true “Test” pack I had never seen before which leads me even more to believe that this made it out of the topps factory originally.

No matter what the truth is, it may be one of the oddest packs I own.